Return To Campus

 

By Ms. Connie Leung

 

With great gratitude we welcomed students back to school after an extended summer. It was a different start to the school year, one that will go down in the history books, a start like no other before. Many months of planning have brought us to this place, this space, this new way of being, moving, interacting. It is a bit strange at first, but I can say that our students are up to the challenge and are engaged with this new normal in a positive, uplifting, resilient way.

 

Both our new and returning students came back to school in high spirits, bringing back to campus the laughter and chatter we so love. Just like that, we were back together and connected with each other! We knew we needed patience and resilience through the ensuing months. Wrapped up in detailed planning and creatively envisioned, our School provided our students with schedules that support learning, wellbeing and character building.

 

Observing the students during the first two weeks, I was struck by the calmness of the students and their teachers. Conversations with both were very similar, emphasising the happiness of “finally being back in class.” From the first day, the students were keen to get on with their learning and applied themselves to the hygiene expectations. Everyone is doing their part, and it is palpable that the intention is to keep our community healthy, safe and on campus.

We are experiencing school life differently, requiring patience and wisdom: for in time, there will be a return to the constancy of life we long for. I quoted the eminent philosopher W.T. Pooh:

 

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.

 

I encouraged students to embrace going slow in order to reach our desired future. There is a collective opportunity to reflect on how we can each contribute to the community experience as we cycle through the pandemic. This is an opportunity for our students to discover more about themselves as a team member, a supporter and a leader.

 

Throughout history, after humans had experienced large scale disruption, a period of great creativity and a surge of cultural activity often followed. It’s as if we hibernated through the repression of our lives, using this store of energy and ambition when our freedom and safety are returned. Humans tend to dream larger, to be more inventive and uniquely expressive.

 

I wish us all a steady, patient, wise and happy year ahead. I can hardly wait to see how we will evolve as a community, with trust, respect and compassion in our hearts.